Dido

Page Tools

There was an odd atmosphere outside Dido's show on Saturday
night. The anticipation usually palpable outside a major arena show
was virtually nonexistent.

Inside too, as teenage singer-songwriter Simon Bruce plied his
trade on stage, there was polite applause amid idle chatter. When
he left the stage, there was a smattering of clapping, but most had
barely bothered to pay attention.

When Dido eventually arrived on stage 45 minutes later, there
was a subdued enthusiasm from the mostly female audience. "It's
been two years since I've been here," she said with a nervous
chuckle. "Sorry about that!"

The superior staging and lighting set-up helped add weight and
Dido was resplendent in a singlet and jeans. Yet it was not until
she revealed some of her goofy charm through some captivating
between-song bantering that she was able to endear herself to her
audience.

Hunter, she said, was a song about wanting to be single
again, "which I do every 10 days!" she said giggling. She said that
while many misinterpret Don't Leave Home as a love song -
a friend recently asked her to perform it at a wedding - it's a
tale of addiction. She assured us that if Mary's In India
was true "then not only would I be beautiful, but I would be a
bitch too, and I'm not!"

Thank You, the lacklustre track that made Dido a star
when it was sampled by Eminem, was a singalong seemingly performed
more out of obligation than with any passion. Even the superior
Here With Me was ignored by fans. For Take My
Hand, she employed electronic samples. Dido bouncing up and
down and dancing through the track was certainly an interesting
sight.

Her latest album, Life For Rent, has been another
robust success and the set drew heavily from it. The meek title
track was contrasted by the droll See You When You're 40
and the record's best moment, Sand In My Shoes.

But the night's highlight came with White Flag. While
not necessarily her best track, Dido informed us that the deeply
personal single had caused her "a lot of pain". She then proceeded
to deliver a frank, poignant reading of the track. This raw show of
emotion finally provoked an enthusiastic reaction - and another
singalong.